Moto G7 debuts in India with underwhelming specs, inflated price tag

Motorola was once a shining beacon of light in a budget segment filled with sub-par devices. The Moto G series was often the benchmark for the budget segment, with Motorola striking an ideal balance between affordability and features. However, things took a turn for the worse over the last 18 months, with Motorola effectively ceding ground to Chinese players.

The Moto G6 was dead on arrival in India, and the Moto G7 isn't going to fare much better in the country. The phone is making its debut today, with sales set to kick off from March 25 for ₹16,999 ($250). For that price, you get a phone with a 6.32-inch FHD+ screen, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, Snapdragon 632 platform, 12MP rear camera, 8MP front shooter, and a 3000mAh battery with 15W fast charging.

Motorola is using its brand cachet to sell underwhelming devices to unsuspecting customers.

The Moto G7 isn't a bad device in its own right — it's one of the better options in other markets — but things are different in India. The intense competition in the budget segment has led to the introduction of several outstanding devices for under $200, which poses a lot of problems for Motorola.

Redmi's recent Note 7 Pro, for instance, offers better hardware in pretty much every area — including a Snapdragon 675 and 48MP camera — and costs just ₹13,999 ($205).

If you're not sold on the idea of MIUI or aren't willing to wait for a flash sale to get your hands on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, then there's the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2. ASUS' budget behemoth is powered by a Snapdragon 660, has a massive 5000mAh battery, and runs pure Android, all for ₹14,999 ($220).

If for some reason you don't like ASUS, then there's the Nokia 6.1 Plus. HMD's device has a Snapdragon 636 and is based on Android One, and retails for just ₹13,999 ($205). To sum up, there isn't any shortage of alternatives available in India's budget category, and most of them are better than what Motorola is offering with the Moto G7.

I don't understand what Motorola's strategy is anymore, but it's clear that the brand is no longer trying to go up against the best in this segment. It's instead relying on its brand cachet to sell underwhelming devices to unsuspecting customers. In a year where even Samsung is rolling out excellent hardware in this category, the Moto G7 is thoroughly outclassed.